BODEGA LA BODEGAS LERMA

Arlanza D.O.

BODEGAS LERMA is situated in the Arlanza D.O. (taking its name from the Arlanza River which flows through it) located in the provinces of Burgos and Palencia (Castile y Leon), directly north of and bordering Ribera del Duero, with La Rioja and Navarra to the north-east.

While the region has a long history of wine production dating back as far as the 12th century, it was officially upgraded to D.O. status in January 2008.

The climate is continental, with long, hot, dry Summers and cold Winters. There is a total of 450has. under vine and the altitude of the vineyards are 800-1,200 mts.

There are some obvious similarities between Arlanza and its well-known neighbours Ribera del Duero D.O. (located to the south of Arlanza) and La Rioja D.O. (located to the north-east of Arlanza), such as the use of similar grape varieties; Tempranillo in particular. The most notable difference is that the differential between day and night temperatures in Arlanza is significantly greater than in Ribera del Duero. Therefore, the ripening period in Arlanza is later than in Ribera del Duero and in many cases results in wines which are significantly deeper in colour and fruitier.

Arlanza D.O. has already built up an excellent quality reputation in Spain and is now set to become an exciting new regional addition to the thriving Spanish wine export business.